What Would a UK Club Type Aire Look Like

I’ve just recalled the last Aire/stopover we used, it was in Pickering. Just behind Big Bear Cycles, who own and run it. £12 for overnight, with water, CPD, rubbish disposal, and parking the next day to visit the town. There’s a Lidl across the road and plenty of nice eateries in Pickering. It’s well used, and a good set up. Back down the road, Helmsley has lost its stopover thanks to bad behaviour that finally had the the locals very angry. 

Bit unfair of NT to charge Members a full price for stopover. That would be better as a separate entity, and Member entry to property. We wouldn’t pay £30 per night for a car park. 

Bit unfair of NT to charge Members a full price for stopover. That would be better as a separate entity, and Member entry to property. We wouldn’t pay £30 per night for a car park.

I agree there should be a discount for National Trust membership. However, as far as I know, the Stouthead site whilst at the back of the overspill area is a separate CL with the normal disposal / water facilities and EHU. I believe they have a few areas at other properties that are just in car parks.

I am not sure what a true aire is.  I think aires vary from country to country and vary enormously. Surely the model will vary according to circumstances. Maybe we should use the term legitimate overnight stop or something similar. There are certainly aires near attractions - think Louth, Gretna. Canterbury and others mentioned above. Some have facilities, some dont. what I dont think we will get is the free aires that are popular in France. Personally, that's OK. I dont mind paying eg £10 to stay on a legitimate overnight stop with water, and toilet disposal that is an area we wish to be in, or that is on our way from a to b.

Yes, I recall the one at Stourhead being a proper CL. NT campsites aren’t cheap options at the best of times, we have used a couple of coastal ones in the past in Cornwall. Not based at properties, but on NT owned land.

I’m never sure what to call overnight stops in UK. We think of most as Pub stops, or legal overnight park ups, unless they call themselves an “Aire”. 

But is the provision of yet more glamping accommodation the right way for the Club to go?  The market in statics and glamping is very crowded, the choice is huge and the competition great. The cost of provisioning and running of Glamping accommodation must surely be higher than providing a few more pitches no matter how they are configured.

It is supposed to be a Caravan and Motorhome Club and as such should be providing facilities for it members who own such outfits. There is a demand for lower cost short stays by motorhome/campervan owners, which in my view will not diminish. The Club could have easilly made provision for this at these popular sites

peedee

But is the provision of yet more glamping accommodation the right way for the Club to go?

Peedee

It might well depend on where you are in your touring career so to speak. If like us, who have recently given up touring, it might be an attractive proposition. It's also a way of widening the appeal of the Club so the wider family can be included. I am not sure of the status of "Experience Freedom" is within the Club structure. Is it a separate limited company whose finances are independent of the site network? 

On your point about the provision of a lower cost short stays I am unsure how this would be justified by charging a significantly lower charge per night than someone on a standard pitch? Imagine the outcry if someone on a standard pitch paying £40 a night realised that a motorhome was only paying £10/15 with the same access to the facilities. So even if such provision was provided I doubt there would be the cost saving that some are anticipating? 

David

PD have you stayed at a club site with these Experience freedom cabins/pods...

I have actually stayed in one and when at the TBH site these cabins are on the SP area and I can hand on heart say that they are always being used all year round, or at least when I've been there on many visits during the year. They bring in three times the price (and sometimes nearly four times) of a pitch for an outfit and bring in people to stay on site. I suspect it's a great source of income for the club and we then all benefit.

And I think this has been posted before they are on larger sites where there is still enough pitches left. Certainly at Coniston and TH

I’ve always considered it a future proofing move by the Club to put in Camping and Glamping Pods. They allow non outfit owning friends and family to holiday alongside those with an outfit, and for anyone who has toured long term, but had to give up perhaps for health reasons, offer the ability to still enjoy Club life on a Club Site. If you are used to using a compact tourer, rather than cottages or hotels, then the transition to staying in one is very easy, all you need is clothes, a bit of food and a few other extras. I was under the impression that they tended to be placed on areas not suited for pitches, but not quite sure at Cayton Bay, as they utilise around a third of the space on the lower tier, but it is a very big site anyway. They seem to be priced quite expensive (compared with other providers) or ridiculously cheap depending on special offers! We keep an eye out to go with friends as it’s cheaper than a pitch night occasionally. 

I don’t think the Club is the best option to provide overnight stopovers. There’s usually a lot of accompanying “baggage” with the Club, lots of do’s and don’ts, hoops to jump through, and that’s before you get on-site with change resistant fellow Members. They might have been able to do something with smaller areas of the now long gone no facility sites, but most of these are now history, or owned by others. 

When I eventually have to stop the wheels revolving, I cannot see us moving to any form of static rentals. With the limited ability to travel and tour on multiple days in a year gone, I think we will be seeking other forms of holidays, most likely where sunshine is guaranteed.

I have not been on any of the Club sites which offers the Freedom Experience nieither do I have any knowledge of how it is funded. I have been on C&CC sites, which used to offer Glamping, but my understanding is they have now decided to give up offering their luxuary safari tents. I wonder why?

As for using expanison areas to offer lower cost short stop over pitches, where there is a will there is a way. Its done on sites on the Continent so why can it not be done here. We are not all looking for very low cost solutions but there is no reason why such pitches cannot be partitioned off from the main site and be provided at a similar cost to none facility sites. Even caravan owners in transit could use them.

peedee

PD, I suspect the glamping tents on C&CC sites have had their day. They’re only canvas structures and have been in use for some years.

Check out their lodges at places like Winchcombe and Braithwaite Village and you’ll see they are in a different class altogether. CAMC have nothing like that. Then there are static caravans which are sold and also rented out by C&CC, and also the more standard pods/cabins for hire. In terms of static accommodation, C&CC are streets ahead of CAMC and well worth considering for a self catering stay.